This is a Laguiole Corkscrew knife, also called a Laguiole 2 piece. The corkscrew was added to the Laguiole knife in the 1880s. This addition resulted from the sale of corked wine bottles in urban society and in response to the request by the people of Aveyron, who had left to find work in the cafes of Paris. Cafe owners and waiters remained loyal to their traditions and were proud to use their 2-piece knife in the capital.
The Guilloché series features additional chiseling of the spring, liners (top & bottom), and the entire blade top edge.
This knife was handmade in Europe's capital of cutlery, "Thiers." The “Gilles®” Fontenille Pataud collection of knives are considered by many to be some of the best pocket knives money can buy. All Knives offered by Gilles are entirely made by a single craftsman, ensuring pride of ownership of the final piece., 100% Made in France.
Note: It is important to know that the folded corkscrew can be challenging to deploy when unfamiliar with such a knife. We recommend you "pinch" the screw from beneath it and pull firmly. It is not advised to use your nails. Additionally, we recommend that the blade be closed when unfolding the screw.
What is a Forged Bee? You can recognize a forged bee where it meets the decorated spring. If you do not see any gaps, it's a good sign that the bee and spring were forged from the same piece of metal. You can also recognize a soldered bee by noticing a straight gap/ridge where the bee meets the spring.
Handle Material
Desert Ironwood (Olneya tesota) - One of the world hardest wood and most difficult to work with due to its density.
This increasingly rare wood comes from dead trees that have been left to dry in the desert heat for decades. As it starts to fossilize, the wood turns reddish brown with a golden hue and beautiful veining. The wood from this very slow growing tree can be well over 100 years old. Harvested in Arizona or Northwestern Mexico.
Good to know:Ironwood can sometimes show tiny knots or small depressions within the wood. This is not considered a defect but rather a characteristic of this wood.
